Table 2. Community worker characteristics and home visit schedule, content, and incentives.
| Bangladesh | Malawi | Nepal | |
| Cadre name | Family Welfare Assistant (FWA), Health Assistant (HA) - Females only, Community Nutrition Promoter (CNP) | Health Surveillance Assistant (HSA) | Female Community Health Volunteer (FCHV) |
| Gender | Female | Mostly male | Female |
| CHW: pop. ratio | FWA/HA - 1∶6000–7000, CNP - 1∶1250 | 1∶1000–2000 | 1∶4001 |
| Education level | FWA/HA - Secondary, CNP - Primary(not strict) | Secondary | Literate, primary preferred |
| Employment status | FWA/HA - Govt salaried employee, CNP - Volunteer(stipend) | Govt salaried employee | Volunteer |
| Recruitment | Recruited from communities | Recruited centrally | Recruited from communities |
| Pre-service training | FWA - 21 days, HA - 6weeks, CNP - 24days | 12 week | 18 days |
| Training in maternal newborn package | 5 days | 9 days (+6 day Comm. Mobil.) | 6 days |
| Pregnancy visits | 2 (2nd & 3rd trimester) | 3 (1st, 2nd & 3rd trimester) | 4 (no specified timing) |
| Content of pregnancy visits | Encourage routine antenatal care and facility delivery | ||
| Promote birth preparedness including identifying facility/birth attendant, planning transport to facility, and saving money | |||
| Counsel on recognition of danger signs for mother and newborn and care-seeking | |||
| Promote newborn care including drying/wrapping, skin-to-skin contact, delayed bathing, immediate and exclusive breastfeeding, clean cord care | |||
| Promote optimal care for mother (breastfeeding, nutrition, family planning) | |||
| Counsel family to notify CHW (and other skilled birth attendant, if needed) at time of labor/delivery or immediately after delivery | |||
| Postnatal visits | Day 1, 2–3, 4–7 | Day 1 (home births), 3, 8 | Day 1, 3, 7, 29 |
| Content of postnatal visits | Reinforce newborn care messages and assessment of breastfeeding including support for feeding difficulties | ||
| Promote optimal care for mother (breastfeeding, nutrition, family planning) | |||
| Counsel on recognition of danger signs for mother and newborn and care-seeking | |||
| Screen for newborn danger signs/illness (examine baby, weigh baby, check temperature, check breathing). | |||
| First dose treatment with oral antibiotics for presumed serious bacterial infection (Nepal only) | |||
| Refer sick newborns | |||
| Counsel on extra care for low birth weight babies | |||
| Encourage routine facility or outreach care | |||
| Paid incentives based on number of visits | No | No | Yes |
1
Catchment area population size varies in Nepal depending on terrain; 400 population is based on Terai region such as Bardiya.